Last week the NSW Parliament passed the Local Government Amendment (RatesMerged Council Areas) Bill 2017.

The legislation requires newly merged Councils to maintain the rate path applied for by the former Councils. For a further three years. This will mean a total of four years after the 2016 proclamation as promised by the Liberal National Government.

For Guyra ratepayers this means they have avoided the proposed 30 per cent rate increase. Rates vary considerably, but a typical residential ratepayer will now not have to pay an extra $300pa. Commercial rate payers won't pay around $600pa more.

One business I spoke to indicated their rates would have gone up by $1200 a year.

Rural ratepayers in Guyra are hundreds to thousands of dollars better off depending on size. Under the new merged Armidale Regional Council more work is being undertaken for the community in Guyra with a lower than projected rate burden. That was a primary goal of local government reform.